Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012: Gay marriage and political candidates

August 24, 2012 11:55 am

Elect Ed Mazurek

This is to alert Knox County voters, that although your attention may be upon the activities and joys of our all too short summer season, the state of Maine will soon be entering the election season. Because of unlimited corporate political funding a media deluge will occur and be mainly focused on the U.S. Senate, Congress and presidential races.

However, we suspect, local Republican candidates will receive a money infusion from the treasuries of the oil-rich Koch brothers and other modern day robber barons. This is an effort to ensure their anti-worker, anti-women, anti-environment and anti-education objectives continue to rule in Augusta. Don’t allow yourself to be duped by them.

If Maine is to begin to change the current negative atmosphere in Augusta, the election of senators will be of the utmost importance. To that end we call your attention to Rep. Ed Mazurek, a Democrat who has served four terms representing House District 47 (Rockland) and is now the Democratic candidate for the District 22 state Senate seat (Knox County).

Mazurek is a retired Rockland teacher and coach. A graduate and a football team member of Xavier University, Mazurek went on to play professional football for the New York Giants. He served on the Rockland City Council and was Rockland’s mayor in 2003 and 2004. He will be a strong voice in the Maine Senate for the people’s interests. His election to the District 22 Senate seat will help move the state forward in a sorely needed positive direction. We urge you to vote for Mazurek in November.

Steve and Barbara Melchiskey

Camden

Support for Gilman’s seat

I am writing to express my support for Democrat Aaron Gilman’s bid for the District 12 seat in the Maine House of Representatives. Gilman is an active member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and he’s an avid supporter of worker’s rights. He’s able to see both sides of an issue and find solutions that work for both sides, and I know he’ll do the same thing in Augusta.

He will fight against attacks on collective bargaining, workplace safety and child labor. He will also work hard to reduce the cost of health care, and make sure that public schools get adequate funding.

Gilman is just the kind of person that we need to put in Augusta. I hope you will join me in supporting Gilman on Election Day this November.

Robert Economy

Brewer

Picking and choosing

I find it paradoxical that tea partiers and conservative Republicans stand on the high hill dictating who may legally marry. Invoked as sources for their opinion are religious beliefs enforced by the U.S. Constitution and Christian bible. Ironically missing from the discussion is the acceptance of religious pluralism, which is clearly stated in the Constitution. Talk about picking and choosing!

Though the separation of religion and government is not asserted in that document, James Madison’s letter to another signer was clear, saying “religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.” Jefferson was also clear when he asked for a “wall of separation between church and state.”

There is nothing in the Constitution stating that marriage is between a man and a woman, and the bible appears ambiguous at best. It seems logical to me that along with the freedoms to assemble, speak, bear arms and believe, the freedom to choose a partner in marriage is consistent with inherent rights.

Something that seems even more incongruous is the extent to which Ayn Rand, who was an atheist, is idolized by these political groups and whose objectivism philosophy of self-interest was cited by Paul Ryan, who in 2009 said that she “did the best job of anybody to build a moral case of capitalism.”

Rand supported gay rights! Picking and choosing…

Phil Stack

Hampden

Collins wedding magic

Cynicism is the last thing our country needs. In response to Mr. Busby’s opinion piece, ” Will Susan Collins spread her wedding magic to the freckled people?” (Aug. 15, 2012) I say the following: Let the people of a state decide what they’d like to do. Collins herself has said this, as is acknowledged by Mr. Busby in his writing of this article. Did Mr. Busby happen to consider that Susan actually believes that when she says it?

As the “people’s representative” she is allowing it to happen by not using her clout. This would make sense. As is written in this piece, “she would not say whether she voted yes or no” regarding past votes on the matter. And besides, it’s none of our business what her vote as a citizen of Maine was. We have no right to know that anymore than knowing what your neighbor voted. It’s best to let the matter iron itself out without asking a person who serves the people to tell the people how to vote. The people direct the elected. Not vice versa.

Jordan Cross

Brewer

King has my vote

There are so many thoughts going through your head when you graduate. So many possibilities for the future are open to you. But in this economy, it is now twice as hard to find a job and there is a lot of competition for the jobs that are available.

I recently graduated college three months ago, and I am still having a hard time finding a job. Applying and sending out resumes are not helping in the slightest. I now find these positions going to people that are less qualified because employers want to pay less for training. This is not a good way to boost job growth.

During this bad economy, you have to take into account what political leaders are going to do to help promote jobs, and the economy. I find myself thinking about Angus King. He has what it takes to help the state of Maine and the thousands of college graduates that are having a hard time finding employment.

During his two terms as governor, one major thing that he focused on was job creation. He has help add over 70,000 jobs, an average of 175 jobs a week. This is what we need in this economy.

Angus King is the best choice for the U.S. Senate. I believe he will help create many jobs, and help thousands of people who are in the same boat as I am. I know that Mr. King has my vote.